Pastyface parts sourcing

[stevewire]

Hello.  I received my Pastyface PCB in the mail yesterday.  I have yet to receive all the parts for it, but I have started soldering some of the pieces that I do have.  I am having a little trouble locating 100n and 15n axial caps that will fit the board nicely.  I do have some rather obnoxiously large 100n caps, but I was hoping to make this look nice and fit it in a 1290 enclosure.  I have had trouble locating these values in axial form from Small Bear, Mouser and Digikey.

I am also concerned about the Germanium transistors set that I ordered from Small Bear.  I ordered the TB Pro MK II PNP - OC75 set.  I've noticed that the traditional Tone Bender schematic is quite a bit different than the Soul Bender schematic as well the resistor values widely vary from the traditional. http://fuzzcentral.ssguitar.com/mkII.php I am expecting Small Bear to send resistor values suggestion for the original ciruit.  Should I have ordered the 3-Knob Tone Bender PNP set?  The directions for the Soul Bender project state, "A regular matched Tonebender set of transistors, such as the ones Smallbear offers, will work well."  So I figured any set of PNP matched Tone Bender transistors should work, until I started comparing schematics.  I chose the OC75s because I have read that they have been used in multiple versions of the Tone Bender.

[jkokura]

Either transistors will work fine, but it's subjective as to which will sound better. I have no idea personally, but let me know what you find cause I have a fully finished Pastyface board, all I'm missing are the transistors and box.

Also, I think you can get the axial caps through mouser. In fact, I know you can because I did. Search for axial film caps, then use the system to narrow it down for yourself. I likely have mallory 150 series in mine, I should go to the garage to check for you... but I'm lazy right now. Let me know if you need me to.

Jacob

[stevewire]

Hey Jacob,
I'm pretty sure that Small Bear does the Tone Bender sets like they do the transistors for the Rangemaster.  They send you a couple of resistors so that the transistors are biased correctly, but being that Soul Bender's schematic is different, things won't quite line up correctly.  I know to over look the 1M resistors at the beginning and end, but some sides of the transistors don't have resistors in the traditional Tone Bender and the resistor values elsewhere are different values also.

On my second Rangemaster build I used the resistors that Small Bear sent and it sounded much better than my first Rangemaster build that I used the traditional values. 

Unless I am doing something wrong on the Mouser site, I am only coming up with non-stocked caps for 100n and 15n axial.

[stevewire]

Actually now I see the caps on Mouser.  So I guess I was doing something wrong on it.  Sorry.  Still concerned about the transistors.

[jkokura]

I guess one solution would be to email Steve. He would likely help you understand what comes with the trannies, and what circuit they use them in.

My recommendation would be to hold off populating the board until the trannies arrive. Then, breadboard the circuit if you can.

Jacob

[stevewire]

Oh Jacob,
What patience you must have!  I ordered the caps I didn't have.

[jkokura]

Actually...


I don't have the patience. When I built my Rangemaster (finished yesterday, yet to be filmed) I started populating it with Carbon Comp resistors (for Mojo), got to the part where my CV7003 was pulled out and read the not just in time to not put the WRONG resistors in. I had to order new resistors because the Carbon Comps I got originally did not match the resistors Smallbear said I should use. Needless to say, because I didn't want Carbon or Metal Film to ruin my mojo, I had to wait until I submitted another order to Mouser because their minimum shipping fee is 20 bucks to canada, and I'm not paying 21 bucks for 2 replacement resistors.

I have had to delay finishing the pedal not once, but twice! The second time was because I realized that the decal I had applied to the pedal told the user to use a 9V TIP NEGATIVE power supply, even though the circuit is POSITIVE TIP. I had to think about that one, and ended up ordering some Road Rage boards. Now my PNP positive tip pedal works using a negative tip power supply, which is convenient because I have limited space on my board for positive tip pedals (one...). Now I can run a positive tip fuzz like the fuzz face I'm building, the Hartman I own, and the Pastyface I'll finish one day AND I can run with Rangemaster and still give them proper power!

So it's from experience, not from patience that I recommend holding off until you have all the pieces before putting anything together.

Jacob

[stevewire]

Well...as of yesterday I had all but the two 100n, one 15n and the three transistors on the board; eventhough, I know I will probably have to change some resistors.  The only reason I didn't have the pots and switch all wired up is that I haven't received the enclosure yet and I wanted to see if I could get the wiring neater on this build.  So far since taking up this little hobby up I have had a mis-start on just about every project due to rushing through the order of parts.  I am sure my wife is becoming curious as to why most everyday there is a small package arriving in the mail with just a few parts.  I don't mind having a few extra parts that weren't quite right, but I am sure spending a lot of unnecessary shipping fees.

[jkokura]

Hehe...

I understand about the constant parts in the mail. For me, if it's not parts it's a pedal in trade, or pcb's or enclosures or... Well, I get lots of mail. I send lots too.

Jacob

[stevewire]

I was trying to build pedals rather then have the excessive cost of pedals arriving in the mail.

[stevewire]

Happy Thanksgiving (USA) to those that celebrate it.

Yesterday I received my OC75s from Small Bear and as I suspected it was accompanied with a schematic and resistor values to bias the transistors correctly.  The problem being that the schematic is vastly different than the Pastyface schematic; therefore not making it very clear how to get this circuit right.

Anyone with prior build experience of this project or an understanding of how to bias germanium transistors, your knowledge and advice would be much appreciated at this time.

[stevewire]

I've got all the components on the board, but I am waiting for a painted enclosure from Pedal Parts Plus.  Apparently if you order white you will have to wait longer.  They only paint white every week and a half.  I am dying to know how the OC75s will do, but I don't want to wire it up until I have the enclosure.

[jkokura]

Steve,

One thing I want to mention to you is that it will go infinitely better for you if you test this BEFORE getting it wired up inside an enclosure. If you've made a mistake, or if there's any debugging to do, you'll regret having it in the enclosure when you're trying to fix it. It is WAY easier to test it outside of the enclosure and make sure it's working. Usually, this eliminates needing to double check your wiring job, your switches and other offboard parts, and the headache of trying to probe and fix a PCB that's already wired up to all that stuff!

Take it from a guy who's had to do that innumerable times - debug it BEFORE wiring it up in the enclosure if you can.

Jacob

[stevewire]

All parts accounted for, built and working.  I reordered a set of germanium transistors from Small Bear for the three knob tone bender.  It's alright if I have an extra set sitting waiting for a two knob tone bender build someday.  I suppose I'm looking for the mythical MK 1.5 sound.

It's going to be a few days before I can get time to crank up the amp and hear it properly.

Jacob,
Yes I know it's good advice and I am sure that probably one day I will go that route.  I just need to develop some patience, but I am in no hurry to get there.     I guess I have been lucky.  I am somewhat new to this.  Last night I finished my 7th pedal build and they all have worked.  The only problem I have had was that on first try I forgot to put the transistor in my Slambox.  I was saving it for last.  Easy enough fix.